Birds on a Wire: Handmade Resin Paper

The birds in this piece are all rescue birds!! All of these birds were made from scraps that any normal crafter would have discarded. I rescued them from the trash bin and a life spent in a landfill. I never throw away ANY of my handmade paper—no matter how small the scrap.

The papers were handmade using Arnold Grummer’s Paper Making Kit and following these basic directions. The birds and their wings were cut with the Sizzix Tim Holtz Caged Bird die.

Making resin paper is easy, but definitely requires some advance work station preparation. Cover your entire work surface with plastic trash bags. Next, cover a cookie sheet with food storage bags. Strive for a flat, wrinkle-free surface. (NOTE: I used plastic film and it wasn’t strong enough. Not a tragedy, but next time, I’ll use the food storage bags.)

Assemble your supplies—Amazing Clear Cast, measuring and mixing containers, stir stick, sponge brush, rubber gloves. I worked on a Teflon craft mat on top of the trash bags. Excess resin easily wipes off the Teflon mat, or peels off when it sets. Everything else is disposed of when you’re finished with the project. Just wrap it all up in the trash bag and toss.

Birds and wings aren’t assembled yet. Mix equal parts of A and B Amazing Clear Cast according to package directions. Using the sponge brush, coat first one side of the bird or wing, then the other with a generous layer of clear resin. Lay on the lined cookie sheet to dry—12 to 24 hours.

The finished resin birds are strong, yet flexible, and have a glossy finish. Even better, the resin intensifies the color of the original paper.

Brown bird with wing attached and eyelet set

Time to assemble the flock. I gently shaped the wings by curling them around a stylus so they created a three dimensional effect and stood out from the bird’s body. I glued only the wide end to the bird, leaving the tip free. Next, I used my Crop-a-dile to pierce a hole in the bird and set an eyelet.

Completed resin paper birds

The base for the hanging is bamboo skewer covered with a length of coiled brass wire. Last bit of assembly was to attach jump rings and jewelry chain to each bird and attach to the wired skewer. The ends of the brass covered skewer were capped with beads from my stash.

Finished Birds on a Wire

I love my rescued birds!! They will bring a hint of spring for many years to come.